By WYNNE GRAY
Blues 30 Chiefs 27
Speedster Rupeni Caucaunibuca rescued an improbable Blues victory last night after Troy Flavell's thuggery left his team a man short for all but five minutes of their Super 12 clash.
While the Fijian flyer's astounding twin touchdowns made the difference on the scoreboard, the heroics came from the Blues forwards that Flavell abandoned when he was ordered off for stamping on Greg Smith's head.
It was as stupid as it was vicious when Flavell trampled Smith, as the Chiefs hooker was pinned at the bottom of a rolling maul.
The linesman spotted the foul play and referee Paddy O'Brien supplied the red card. After that troubled start, the Blues scored four tries to achieve maximum points after two rounds and to set up what should be one of the matches of the competition next week, against the defending champions the Crusaders.
Had the Blues faced a team with more grafting patience they would have lost, but the Chiefs could not deliver any consistent momentum.
They were too anxious and will rue their missed chance to upset one of the favoured sides in the competition.
The Blues also took some time to regain their composure after the dismissal of Flavell, but several moments of individual brilliance gave them a 20-14 lead at halftime.
It was a huge turnaround for the visitors, who conceded two tries to the Chiefs as they struggled to rearrange their formations to deal with Flavell's absence.
A rampaging Steven Bates, in for No 8 Paul Miller, smashed past a couple of tackles and then Keith Lowen followed a sizzling break with a bulldozing barge to the line.
Both tries were converted by Glen Jackson and when Carlos Spencer kicked two penalties, that appeared the Blues' strongest scoring avenue.
They were outgunned in the scrums - where Justin Collins had to move to lock - their lineout targets became easier to challenge and the scrambling defence had to work harder than ever.
But forwards like Keven Mealamu, Ali Williams, Daniel Braid and Xavier Rush just would not yield and Carlos Spencer encouraged his backs to keep attacking, asking questions of an uncertain Chiefs team.
Captain Rush started the tryscoring revival when he broke a soft tackle from Michael Collins before the first piece of magic from Caucaunibuca.
He latched onto a Steve Devine grubber, skirted fullback Jackson and eased his way to the tryline in another of his sublime surges.
He should have had his double and Randle, who had already been in the bin, should have been sent off soon after halftime, when he held the Blues wing back from supporting a Doug Howlett break. That infringement was as obvious as Flavell's foul play but somehow the linesman missed it.
Soon after Devine was awarded a try as the confused Chiefs milled about expecting the Blues to be called for a knock-on.
They were left equally motionless when Caucaunibuca collected his own grubber kick and beat the luckless Jackson in another run to the line.
It continued Caucaunibuca's tryscoring avalanche and his pre-series dream that he would score at least a brace of tries in each match.
The Blues went into the final quarter with a 30-17 advantage, although they had to withstand a draining last period as the Chiefs finally got some continuity in their game and collected 10 points.
But the gallant Blues defensive line held out to take an extraordinary victory.
Blues 30 (R Caucaunibuca 2, X Rush, S Devine tries; C Spencer 2 pen, 2 con)
Chiefs 27 (S Bates, K Lowen, D Hill, tries; G Jackson 2 con, 2 pen, D Hill, con). Halftime 20-14.
Super 12 schedule/scoreboard
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